“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” — Mother Teresa
This July, we gather in prayer — giving thanks for the ways God continues to shape us. In our churches, neighborhoods, and daily lives, he is forming us into people who reflect his grace and hope.
Click here to download the July Prayer Guide.
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Citizens of the kingdom believe in one Lord, one faith, one baptism — Lord Jesus, his faith, his baptism. We are baptized into Jesus’ baptism and his faith.
And we take seriously our responsibility to disciple members for the sacrament of baptism. Here’s one GCI resource that is helpful for baptism classes: We Believe with teacher’s notes
The sacrament of baptism proclaims that we are saved by Christ alone and not through our own repentance and faith. It is a participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which our old selves have been crucified and renounced in Christ, and we have been freed from the shackles of the past and given new being through his resurrection. Baptism proclaims the good news that Christ has made us his own, and that it is only in him that our new life of faith and obedience emerges. Grace Communion International baptizes by immersion. — GCI Statement of Beliefs
Baptism is a cherished value in the life of the kingdom because it visibly proclaims the grace of God already given to us in Jesus Christ. It is not about earning God’s favor but about participating in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. Baptism declares our union with him, our forgiveness, and our new life by the Spirit.
As an outward sign of an inward reality, baptism joyfully bears witness that we belong to God’s family and share in his redeeming love.
Join us in celebrating the following GCI baptism. Both the individual and the community celebrate the transforming work of grace already at work among us.
O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. Psalm 65:2 ESV
To hear from God is a great blessing. But it’s also a great blessing that God hears us. Consider the story of Hagar. When cast out into the wilderness, alone and desperate, she discovered that God is “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Then in Genesis 21:17, we are told that “God heard the boy [Hagar’s infant son, Ishmael] crying.”
These statements reveal something essential about the very nature of God: He is the God who hears!
To say that God hears is to say that he is moved, that he responds, that he is personally involved. These are truths that reach their full expression in Jesus Christ. And we are told in Hebrews 4:15-16, that as our High Priest, Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses.
In Jesus, God not only hears human cries, but also enters into them. Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where his prayers were raw, honest, and deeply human. And though the path of his suffering was not removed, God heard those prayers. The Father was present with Jesus in his suffering.
This reshapes how we understand being “heard.” It is not a guarantee of immediate relief but of divine presence and faithful response. So, when we pray — whether our words are articulate or faltering, hopeful or weary — we are not speaking into silence. We are being heard within the very life of the triune God who hears.
Prayer
Lord, you are the God who hears — not from a distance but from within the depths of our lives. Teach us to trust that no cry is lost, no whisper ignored. In Jesus, our High Priest, draw us into your listening love, that we may find rest in your faithful presence. Amen.
Ted Johnston, Grace Communion Seminary Faculty
Foley, Alabama, US
Dear GCI Family and Friends,
What does ministry look like from an Incarnational Trinitarian foundation?
We begin with the “Who?” question. Whose ministry is it? It is the ministry of Jesus, the second member of the Godhead who emptied himself and became incarnate for the salvation of mankind. Through his earthly ministry, Jesus revealed Father God, and he prepared the way for the Holy Spirit to come. (Much more can be said about the incarnation of Jesus and the makeup of the triune Godhead, but for the sake of staying on point with the topic of ministry ethos, we move forward.)
The scriptures inform us that Jesus is Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Head of the Church, Lord of Lords and King of the eternal kingdom.
We then are his created children, new creations in him, believers who are growing in his grace and knowledge, members of his body, junior ministry partners participating in his ministry, worshippers. Our lives, identities, and purposes are found in him. Therefore, we abide in him, rest in him, submit our hearts, minds, and souls to him. We rely on the one who first came to us.
Christian ministry at its core is the vicarious salvific work of Jesus to fallen humanity. It is only by union with him and empowerment from the Holy Spirit that we can join and participate. Ministry is not something we do “for” Jesus, rather true ministry is only something we can do “with and through” Jesus.
Grace Communion International is seeking a Human Resources and Risk Coordinator to serve in our Financial Services Department. This full-time, non-exempt position is based in Charlotte, NC, and reports to the Chief Financial Officer.
Applications are now being accepted. See the job description here.
If you would like further details on the position or would like a GCI job application, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@gci.org or 980-495-3960.
Please share this announcement with qualified candidates who may be gifted for this position at the Home Office.
Grace Communion International is seeking a Digital Content Developer to serve on our Media Team. This full-time, non-exempt position is based in Charlotte, NC, and reports to the Media Coordinator.
The Digital Content Developer helps tell the story of what God is doing through Grace Communion International by creating thoughtful, engaging digital content including video, podcasts, and graphics. This role collaborates closely with the Media Team to develop projects from concept through completion.
We are looking for someone who values creative excellence, collaboration, and lifelong learning, and who resonates with GCI’s commitment to sharing the gospel and participating in the love and life of the triune God.
Applicants should have relevant education or experience in digital media production and be aligned with GCI’s mission and theological commitments. See the job description here.
If you would like further details on the position or would like a GCI job application, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@gci.org or 980-495-3960.
Please share this announcement with qualified candidates who may be gifted for this position at the Home Office.
“I recognize that the leader of the church is Jesus. He will provide for the local church so it may continue serving its people and the people around them.”
Joel Calmateo serves as a pastor of GC Pasig, in the Philippines, where his journey began in youth ministry. His leadership is Christ-centered and relational, shaped by years of growing and serving within the church.
Through education, citizens of God’s kingdom focus on equipping the members of Jesus’ Church for their contribution in the ministry of all believers. Check out the opportunities for education and equipping through ACCM.
Ambassador College of Christian Ministry is operated by Grace Communion International in Australia.
Citizens of God’s kingdom value lifelong learning. And while they are learning at every stage of life, they agree that it’s even better to learn with others.
I was thrilled to be the instructor for Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) for the inaugural Jesus and Gospels class. We had a wonderful cross-generational mix of men and women who came with a passion to learn more about Jesus. The four narrative Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are rich and unique as they paint four portraits of the same Jesus. The students eagerly dug into the class material and especially with the group assignments and group presentations.
Here’s a note from Pastor Julie Frantz:
This was an opportunity to come alongside young adults and growing leaders in the church. It provided an opportunity for deeper discipleship and intentional investment in walking with them through Scripture. In our desire to be a faithful Ministry Training Center (MTC), we continue to invite and invest in others as the Lord provides opportunity. This past Memorial Day weekend, we hosted our first ACCM intensive and humbly report that the Lord brought an eager and faithful group to grow and learn together. We are thankful for these initial steps towards being an active MTC.
In our three U.S. MTCs (Cincinnati, OH / Surrey Hills, OK / Sun Valley, CA) our goal is to offer two onsite ACCM classes per year. The students who represent the local church are formed into what we call a “Learning Community.” These people are already regular attenders of the church and are plugged into the life of the church. To invest in their development of Christ-centered, biblical knowledge is to better equip them for more impactful ministry. An added aspect is to create space for some of our current pastors who need to attend to their education, and these classes are a great way to assist them in professional development.
This new way of engaging students at the MTC sites marks a more formal partnership with ACCM and U.S. Church Administration and Development (CAD). It is a huge blessing to have the services of ACCM with the quality classes that are going to make a difference for the students in the Learning Communities.
Greg Williams, President
Charlotte, North Carolina, US
The retreat’s focus was Kingdom Living. The first evening began with a lecture as part of the Christian Leadership course offered by the Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM). The retreat included a full worship service on both days and an interactive examination of passages drawn from Acts of the Apostles and several of the epistles.
One of the features of this year’s retreat was the number of children in attendance. The children ran and played and ran some more, chasing each other all over the campgrounds. There was a 2-hour session each afternoon of games and children’s ministry activities themed around Kingdom Living.
The total number who participated in the interactive breakouts was nearly 40 adults and teens: six groups of 5 or 6 people on average. Each had a leader and one or two scribes to record the ideas the small group considered important. Then groups reported back to everyone. This was done essentially by the youth, with a little assistance from older members as needed. They did a remarkably good job, and a few of the shyer teens made great strides in their confidence, speaking before all of us.
We plan for the discussion conclusions, and especially those elements that might shape how things might be done in the church in the future, to be collected and woven into a summarising report for use by the GCI Fiji board and pastoral team.
By Dennis Richards, Pastor
Palmerston North, New Zealand
